Unexpected
by alleygirl24
Summary: Nathan Cressler is the only remaining heir to the CEO of Gem Enterprises, the biggest jewelry company on Earth. And his father hates his guts. Nathan doesn't mind; he likes his small, cozy apartment with the sweet old lady across the hall who always helps him out. He likes his black cat Cicero, the best companion ever on rainy nights. He likes his simple, well-paying job at Cozy Co
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I completely deleted the original story I had and am completely remixing it.**

**Walter is going to be gay. I'm gonna say that flat out, so if y'all have a problem with the lack of Paige/Walter pairing or you hate gay people, then that little arrow pointing to the left on the top left part of your screen is very useful. It's called the back button.**

**Your summary:**

_**Nathan Cressler is the only remaining heir to the CEO of Gem Enterprises, the biggest jewelry company on Earth. And his father hates his guts.**_

_**Nathan doesn't mind; he likes his small, cozy apartment with the sweet old lady across the hall who always helps him out. He likes his black cat Cicero, the best companion ever on rainy nights. He likes his simple, well-paying job at Cozy Corners Book Shop and Café. He likes his life in general.**_

_**At least, that's what he tells himself.**_

_**In reality, Nathan is a lonely 22 year old who's never been on a date. He's never been in love, and frankly he doesn't want to be. Love is an emotion found on the losing side, and Nathan never loses. He's a master cardsman with more tricks up his sleeves than Houdini. **_

_**Then he meets Scorpion, and one Walter O'Brien, and it all goes to hell. **_

_**Well, Nathan Cressler, Magician Extraordinaire, isn't afraid of getting burned.**_

**Enjoy, guys, and remember: constructive criticism is always welcome, but flamers will be barbecued.**

**Disclaimer: I am the proud owner of Nathan Cressler, but I am not the owner of Scorpion, or Walter. **

**Note: By the way, guys! For future reference, Walter is 31. I did the math: if he was 11 in 1994, when he was arrested, and 1994 was 20 years ago, 20 + 11 = 31. **

**Sources: **

**Card symbols: . **

**Moon Facts: /the-moon/ **

*~Line Break~*

*Paige's POV*

I corralled Ralph into the tiny bookshop/café that a friend had recommended to me. I looked around; it was cute, very quaint and definitely likable. I'd come here more often if I had the time.

I nodded to the man behind the counter, who looked up from his book and smiled at me through fashionable glasses. "Let me know if you need help finding something," he said. I smiled at him in thanks, more so because he actually sounded genuine unlike so many other store clerks. The man nodded at me and went back to reading, a slight frown shaping on his forehead as he concentrated. He was cute, with a thin, angular face and almost feminine cheekbones, bright green eyes and wavy black hair. His build was lean and wiry, but I sensed a hidden strength inside him.

I bent towards my silent son. "Ralph, why don't you go find a book on quadratic equations?" I offered. Sylvester had recommended that idea to me. Ralph nodded happily and began wandering through the bookshelves. I did the same, but I headed towards the adult romances.

A bit later, I peeked around the bookshelves and noticed the clerk had gone. I looked around for him and to my complete astonishment found him sitting beside Ralph on the floor, explaining something to him. Ralph didn't speak to him, but he nodded along and gave the man his full attention. That in and of itself was a huge surprise, because Ralph almost never made eye contact with anyone. The only two people he did that with was myself and Walter. Here he was, looking the store clerk in the eye and paying attention to him. Granted, he didn't speak to him, but that wasn't unusual at all. I was just glad Ralph seemed to be connecting with others now.

I walked up to them and the clerk smiled at me. "Hi," I said with returning smile. "I'm ready to check out." I held up my two books. The man nodded and stood, heading towards the counter. I helped Ralph up.

"Did you find what you wanted?" I asked him and he nodded, showing me the title of a thick book; it was about geometric occurrences in code typing. I smiled; Walter would like this book.

I took the book and placed all three on counter. The clerk scanned them and I noticed his nametag said _Nathan_. The name suited him, I decided as I observed him.

"I don't mean to be rude, but may I ask why you haven't taken your eyes off me?" Nathan said with a small smile. I jumped and blushed.

"I'm sorry. I just was thinking that your name suited you," I explained and he looked thoughtful.

"You're the first person to say that," he said. "Besides myself, of course." I chuckled along with him.

"And your total is $15.95," Nathan said. I paid with a Visa and grabbed my bag of books.

"I'll definitely be coming back here," I said and Nathan smiled widely.

"Glad to hear it," he returned. We said our goodbyes and Ralph and I headed for the door. Ralph turned and waved at Nathan, who smiled and waved back. That made me smile; it seems Ralph had a potential new friend.

*~Line Break~*

*Paige's POV*

"Ok, so let's get this straight: you want us to prove that _Harold Cressler_, the CEO and jewel god of the biggest jewelry company on the _planet_, is committing fraud against his customers?" Happy said with great emphasis to Gallo. Said agent nodded.

"Exactly," he said simply.

"Impossible!" Sylvester declared nervously.

"Hell no!" Toby agreed. "We may be good, but we're not that good!"

Gallo sighed. I didn't blame him. "Look," he said firmly. "You guys are the best team I've got right now and the only ones who could possibly prove that Cressler is ripping off his own customers. The man's got firewalls on his firewalls three times over! There's no one else for the job but you!"

"Well find one!" Happy snapped. "Cause I'm not even going near this case!" The others made noises of assent. Everyone except Walter, who kept looking at Ralph like he couldn't figure him out, which was really weird because Walter knew Ralph better than anyone.

"Who did you guys meet today?" Walter finally asked me, and I blinked.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

"Ralph hasn't once looked up from his book, not even to help Sylvester with his equations. He shows an extraordinary attachment to that book, which means someone who means a lot to him gave it to him. I ask again, who did you meet?" I bristled at his tone and was about to snap at him when Ralph spoke up.

"Nathan gave it to me. He said that it was more interesting that quadratic equations," he said simply. I stared at him, as did everyone else.

"Nathan from the bookstore?" I clarified and Ralph nodded. I nodded back in understanding and turned to Walter.

"We went to a new bookstore a bit out of town and the clerk had been talking to Ralph," I explained. "Apparently he recommended the book to him and must've been explaining something to him."

"Which bookstore?" Toby asked.

"Uh, Cozy Corners Bookshop and Café," I answered absentmindedly. I turned to my son, who was indeed absorbed in the book.

"Ralph, honey, what was Nathan talking to you about?" I asked gently and Ralph looked up at me.

"He was telling me about the time he made a car disappear and reappear in the person's house. He said the person was really mad," he said and there was a small smile on his lips.

"Wait, disappear?" I clarified in surprise. Ralph nodded again.

"Yeah, that's Nathan's gift," he said in a completely casual tone. "Magic."

"Guys," Toby said from his computers. "Guess who this guy is."

*~Line Break~*

*Nathan's POV*

I moved my hips to the beat as I sang along to Maroon 5's _Animals_. It was my favorite song ever. I whirled around the shop, organizing and straightening shelves as I went. It was my day to clean up and lock up the shop. I didn't mind; I loved blasting my music of choice as I did the chores.

I whirled again so I was facing the window and stopped, cocking my head. A black van pulled into the parking lot and stopped. A man in a suit got out of the driver's seat and I sighed. "Smells like government," I muttered to myself. I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms as I watched three men get out of the car and, interestedly, the girl from earlier. I noticed Ralph wasn't with her.

I didn't move as the team walked up to the door. I smiled and waved sarcastically when the older man couldn't open the locked door. He held up a Homeland Security badge and I flipped him off. The man in the hat laughed and I grinned. The girl rolled her eyes and mouthed "Please?" I sighed and rubbed my forehead before going to unlock the door.

"Thank you," the girl said and I rolled me eyes.

"What do you want?" I asked irritably. "I'm kinda busy cleaning up."

"We just want to ask you a couple of questions," Mr. Shades said. I pursed my lips.

"Not interested," I barked. "Now get out." I turned my back to walk away.

"I wouldn't turn my back if I were you, Mr. Cressler," Mr. Shades said and I froze.

"Who the _hell_ told you my name?" I spat viciously, whirling. Mr. Shades smirked.

"Toby?" he asked. The guy in the hat answered.

"Severely agitated, but there's more anger than fear, so my guess is he knows nothing about what his father is doing and hates his guts," he rattled off. I was momentarily confused.

"What my father is doing?" I asked cautiously, relaxing a bit as everyone else did. They weren't coming to arrest me or drag me back to that snake, so I'd be a little more civil.

"Your father is ripping off his clients," Mr. Shades told me and I relaxed fully, rubbing my eyes.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I mumbled. I looked at them tiredly. "Ok, what do you guys need to know?"

A few minutes later, I served everyone fresh coffee according to their tastes and sat down beside Paige

"What exactly is your relationship with your father?" Walter (as he had introduced himself) asked me. I had to grin a bit.

"Not good," I said simply. "He hates me because I'm gay and I refused to 'renounce my sinful ways'." To my gratitude, no one even gave me a second glance after that little bombshell. Toby only nodded.

"That makes sense; it fits in with his personality," he agreed and I snorted into my coffee (black with three sugar packets).

"Does it ever," I muttered and Happy chuckled with me.

"So when was the last time you spoke to your dad?" Paige asked and I shrugged.

"He calls every year on New Years' Day exactly to try and get me to come home. So, last New Year's," I replied. "Now I have a question for you guys: why are you coming to me? I'm sure you've seen the articles about the family schism." The group exchanged uneasy looks. I cocked a brow and sat up.

"What aren't you telling me?" I demanded.

"We…we have reason to believe that your dad might send people after you to make sure you don't talk about him," Happy finally answered. I was incredibly confused.

"But we haven't talked in almost a year! I don't know anything about him!" I nearly shouted, panic starting to rise in my chest. When my dad sends "people" after you, you don't normally come back alive.

Paige patted my arm to try and calm me down. "We know that, but he's being paranoid."

"How the hell am I going to be safe?!" I said breathlessly. "What am I going to do?!" I clenched my fists to stop their shaking, but it didn't do anything. I know I looked wild – eyes widened, face pale as milk. No matter the front I put on, I was honestly scared of my dad. He was cold as ice – he had no heart even where his family was concerned.

"We can arrange for my best security team to keep an eye on you," Agent Gallo assured me. I chuckled nervously. I felt trapped.

"You have any idea what my dad can do?" I whispered hoarsely. "He's a madman! No 'security team' can stop him!"

"We can," Happy shot back. "Trust me, we can." I scoffed at her and stood, shaking all over. I needed to get out of there before I lost it.

"Excuse me," I mumbled and practically ran out of the room. I burst out the back door and slumped against the wall, taking deep breaths and letting them out again. I shook myself mentally – what was I doing? How the heck was freaking out going to help me? All it was going to do was give me a heart attack.

I rubbed my face with my hand and noticed I was still shaking. I looked up at the moon, trying to focus on that.

"Did you know that the moon drifts about 3.8 cm away from the Earth every year?" a voice said, making me jump. It was Walter.

"No, I didn't," I said truthfully.

"Yep. Did you also know that only 12 people have every walked on the moon, and all were males?" he continued. I knew what he was doing – he was trying to calm me down by giving me something else to focus on. I smiled a little.

"Actually I did know that one," I said. He smiled a bit too, but it was a cold smile. It had no warmth; it was only there to put me at ease. It worked, too, I was surprised to find.

"The Earth's moon is also the fifth largest natural satellite in the solar system," he continued, leaning beside me. I leaned my head back against the hard brick wall and focused on nothing but his presence beside me and his voice as he continued to spout random facts. He was very warm and solid, a reassuring presence beside me.

_Whoa, Nate,_ I told myself. _No falling for Iceman over here. Not allowed._

"I'm gay too," Walter said and that jerked me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked in astonishment. Walter nodded; I couldn't read his face in the moonlight.

"Just thought you should know why no one reacted to your little declaration," he said. He stood up and went back inside.

I stood there in complete shock. Ok, who the hell was this guy? Why did he even come out here? His whole body language suggested he didn't care about anyone and yet there he was, trying to calm me down from my almost-panic attack. And then that bombshell! What the hell was that all about?! He had no reason to tell me he was gay, and yet he did. I resisted the urge to bang my head against the wall behind me.

Walter O'Brien was _really_ lucky he was cute.

*~Line Break~*

*Nathan's POV*

"You know, you have a really nice place," Paige said as she looked around my living room. I smiled to myself from the stove.

"Thanks. Most people think it's weird looking," I replied.

"No, not at all! I love all the memorabilia," she reassured and I had to turn to make sure she wasn't lying. She wasn't.

"Huh. Well, thanks," I said sincerely. "I love magic."

"Ralph said that's your gift," she blurted. "Magic." I chuckled.

"You could call it that," I agreed. "As I'm sure you know, I'm an all-around brainiac, but my proficiency is sleight of hand."

"That's awesome," Paige said wistfully. I laughed this time.

"Thank you. Want to see a trick?" I asked as I finished stirring the chili and turned it down to simmer. I turned to her and smiled.

"Sure!" Paige agreed with a smile back. I grinned and flopped on the couch beside her, flicking my cards out vertically in my hand, seemingly from nowhere. I winked cheekily when she rolled her eyes.

"Pick a card, any card," I said grandly. Paige snorted and picked one – Ace of Hearts, I saw. I smiled. How appropriate.

"Study the card," I said, still in my "tacky-magician" act. She suppressed a smile and did so.

"Put it back in the deck." She did this as well. I did my shuffling trick, watching as her amazement. I shuffled the deck like normal and then held up the Queen of Hearts.

"Is this your card?" I asked. She smiled and shook her head. I pretended to be disappointed.

"Well, damn," I muttered. "That trick has never failed me before." Paige patted my arm.

"Don't worry; not even Walter is perfect," she tried to comfort me. I sighed and flicked the card over in my hand.

"I was so sure this was your card, though," I said, holding it up again.

Her astonishment was priceless.

"I still want to know how you did that!" Paige grumbled and I laughed.

"A good magician never reveals his tricks," I said as I opened the garage door for her. "And I am the best." She scoffed at me and flounced past – or tried to. I could tell she was holding in laughter.

I laughed again and sauntered in behind her, doing a full 360 to take everything in. Already I had identified five possible places for tricks; give me another minute and I could have fifteen.

"Mr. Cressler," the crisp voice of Agent Gallo greeted me. I smirked to myself as I pointedly kept my back to him.

"Shades," I returned. I heard a snort – probably Toby.

"You are aware that you won't win any points with us when you insult one of our team members, right?" Walter said. I grinned as I turned to him smoothly.

"You do know I don't give a damn, right?" I shot back casually, stretching. I was wearing a cashmere sweater, collared shirt, jeans, and high-tops today and I looked _good_. Even I didn't miss the way Walter's eyes oh-so-quickly flicked over my form. My grin widened until it was practically devilish.

"See something you like?" I purred. To his credit, Walter didn't even flinch.

"Not in a million years," he returned and I mock cringed, placing a dramatic hand over my heart.

"You wound me!" I gasped. Walter rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, but Paige beat him to it.

"Oh please," she scoffed. "You don't have a heart." That diffused the tension, much to my disappointment. I glared at her mildly; I was having fun! She gave me a stern look in return and I rolled my eyes, waving her off.

I flopped in a comfortable rolling chair and began to spin myself around.

"That's my chair," Walter said without looking up from his screen.

"I don't care," I replied.

"Get out."

"No."

"You're annoying."

"Thank you." I grinned.

"I hate you."

"Most people do," I agreed, but that one hurt a little. I wasn't about to let him see that, however. He must've heard something in my voice, though, because his next sentence shocked me.

"I…I didn't mean that," he said more quietly. I smiled a bit through my astonishment.

"It's ok," I said truthfully. He turned and nodded at me and I got out of his chair.

"Well I'm off," I announced, heading for the door. "Nice to see y'all again!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Paige asked.

I shrugged. "I have work. I doubt any of y'all want to hang out in a bookshop for eight hours."

"I will," Happy volunteered, to everyone's disbelief. She looked around. "What? It's in the job description, isn't it?" she said. "You know, protecting magic man over here?" I snorted loudly and doubled over with laughter. I couldn't help it; that had brought up a reference that amused me to no end.

"Um, Nate? You ok?" Paige asked cautiously. I controlled myself to an extent and waved her off.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I gasped, wiping away tears of laughter. "God that was good!" I started giggling again when I thought of the reference.

Everyone dismissed my amusement as I struggled to hold in my laughter, biting my lip and holding my breath.

"Right ok. Happy will go guard Nate for the time being and the rest of us will dig up some dirt on Cressler, Sr.," Walter instructed. Everyone went out their business and Happy and I left the garage. Her silence was both hilarious and incredibly uncomfortable.

_This'll be fun._

*~Line Break~*

*Happy's POV*

I watched with barely disguised disgust as an older man gave Nathan hassle because "the stupid clerk couldn't find my book!"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but we do not stock the book series you are looking for," Nathan said in that same patient tone. How he hadn't punched the guy's nose in yet, I'll never know.

"You are a worthless piece of crap," the man snarled. "So is this store. I'm out of here!" He stormed out.

Silence reigned for a moment.

"You ok?" I asked finally. Nathan took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead.

"Define ok," he muttered. I got up and hopped onto the counter.

"Not everyone's like that," I said after another pause. "Even I know that." He smiled up at me through bleary, exhausted eyes. I was struck with the realization that he, no matter the front he put on, was really and truly lonely.

He cocked a brow at me. "What is it with women and staring?" he said. I blinked and looked away.

"What is it with men and stupid questions?" I shot back. Nathan only stood straight and walked out from behind the counter. As he reached the shelves across the room, he turned to me; I was frozen by the intensity of those green eyes.

"What is it with you and blocking everyone and everything out?" he replied softly, so softly that I shouldn't have been able to hear it from that distance.

But I did.

I leaned against the car, watching as Nathan shook hands with the rough-looking man at the front of the store. The man smiled at him and clapped him on the arm as Nathan turned to go.

Nathan was smiling as he walked up to the car. "That your boss?" I asked.

"As if you didn't already know," Nathan replied. I inwardly winced; apparently he was still ticked off at me from earlier.

"You two know each other long?" I asked as we slid into his car.

"Why do you even care?" he asked tiredly as he tossed his bag into the backseat. Yep, still mad.

I shrugged. "I just want to know. Making sure he's not a threat." Nathan snorted.

"Sav's not a threat. He's my best friend. I'm the one who got him and his husband together," Nathan said. I jerked.

"He's gay?" I asked. The guy didn't look gay, but then again who was I one to judge?

"Clearly, if I just said husband," Nathan retorted. Ouch. He could be worse than Walt sometimes, and that was saying something.

"You still hate me," I said with a nod, staring out my window at the dark streets and alleys we passed.

"What gave you that impression?" Nathan muttered and I sighed.

"You have a reason to," I allowed. Nathan snorted.

"You don't say," he snarked. "You have a really, really bad anger problem, but of course you knew that! I'm not ticked because you snapped at me – I've heard worse, trust me. What I'm ticked about is that you locked me out when I was only trying to be friendly! I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm not a bad guy! A jerk, sure, but all guys are to some extent! You need to stop blocking people out, or I promise you they will hurt you more than any friend ever could!" He shut his mouth with an audible snap and stared resolutely at the road, refusing to look at me. His jaw was clenched tight, as were his hands on the steering wheel.

I said there in complete shock. No one, not even Walter, had ever had the courage to say something like that to me. My first reaction was anger, but for once I shoved that aside and really looked at myself. Of course I knew what I did to others, but what I didn't know – what I didn't _allow_ myself to know – is what it did to _me_.

What I found in that proverbial mirror upset me more than I'd ever let on.

To distract myself, I chanced a glance at the man sitting beside me. He was still angry, but I could tell he'd relaxed some. That was progress.

I stopped. No, _I_ wasn't making progress with _him_. _He_ was making progress with _me_. With the team. One by one, he was healing us. He'd started with Ralph and Paige, then moved on to Walter (and I had an inkling he wasn't finished with him yet), and now to me. He was _fixing_ us.

I smiled to myself and leaned back in my seat. I wasn't healed yet, but now it was up to me. I had to let go of my past hurt and let people in – starting with Paige.

*~Line Break~*

*Walter's POV*

I looked up when the door opened and saw Happy and Nathan walk in. Right away I knew something was off: Nathan was completely emotionless, but Happy looked – I don't know, more relaxed. Even happy, no pun intended. She flashed me a small but genuine smile and I jerked slightly, but smiled back a little unsurely – what the heck had happened?!

I glanced at Nathan but he refused to look at me, instead transferring his gaze to the floor. I noticed that Paige had seen the odd behavior too. Happy waved me off and I let her go with a nod; she wasn't the one to be concerned about, as she was obviously fine. She went over to Toby and he began to brief her on what we had found already.

I turned my attention back to Nathan, who had his arms crossed in the classic defensive position and had his back turned to the rest of the team.

I stopped myself – the rest of the team? Was I already considering Nathan as part of our band of misfits? My brow furrowed in interest as I realized that yes, I already was. Huh. I filed that interesting tidbit away for later and got up.

"Nathan?" I muttered so as not to disturb Sylvester's work on a coding equation for me. Nathan nodded slightly to show he had heard. "You ok?"

"Why do you care?" he asked just as softly and I was confused.

"'Cause we've been assigned to protect you," I said slowly. Nathan half-smiled, but it was a cold smile. Colder than even mine.

"Physically. Not emotionally," he whispered, and jogged up the steps to the kitchen area upstairs. I immediately turned to Happy, who raised her hands in defense.

"We had a problem," she admitted. "But we worked it out outside so we wouldn't mess up the dynamic in here." I nodded slowly – she was clearly telling the truth, and I did remember hearing the difference between two doors closing outside and the footsteps walking up to the door.

"So what's wrong with him?" Paige asked for all of us, and Happy sighed and shrugged.

"He'd gotten a text as we were walking in and he just…shut down," she said helplessly. I was again struck by how different she looked and acted. Happy was never helpless. _She must really, really like him_, I realized. It seems that Mr. Cressler, Jr., was slowly worming his way into our team.

I didn't have one problem with that.

Several hours later, I went up the stairs to make sure that Nathan was still alive. I stopped dead when I found him sitting cross-legged with his back to me on the floor, wearing nothing but his jeans. I was even more startled to see what looked like whip marks crisscrossed on his back. I swallowed and turned on my heel, ready to go back down the stairs and bury myself alive in codes.

Before I could, he spoke. "It's rude to stare," he muttered, standing smoothly and pulling on his shirt.

"I wasn't," I said far too loudly. I slapped myself mentally – get a grip O'Brien!

"You were," Nathan replied, and I detected a definite note of amusement. Shit.

"Yeah well," I grumbled and slapped myself again. I was usually the poster boy for eloquence and then this happens?! Gah. Stupid magician and his stupid hotness.

Ok now I wanted to bang my head against the wall. I was about to do it, too, when Nathan's voice interrupted my train of thought.

"Why'd you come up here? Oh, and I'm dressed now," he teased and I turned around, definitely not blushing. Nope. I wasn't blushing.

"I came to see if you were still alive," I said with my usual indifference. Nathan cocked a brow.

"Well hi. I still exist. You can go now," he said and I frowned ever-so-slightly to see his walls go back up.

"Alright," I agreed. I knew that he was working through something, and I knew that like me, he'd want to be alone while he did that. If he didn't come down in the next hour, though, I was sending Paige up to try and find out what was going on.

As I walked down the stairs, my mind was whirring with all the new data I had collected. Some was about Nathan, but most was about me.

Since I was a little kid, I had long struggled to express common emotions like affection, empathy, and love. After my sister was hospitalized, I had completely shut down all emotion to protect myself. But now…now this boy had somehow made me _feel_ again. I replayed that word with distaste – who wanted to feel, when all that was to be had was pain? Sentiment is an emotion found on the losing side, and I was determined not to lose.

Lord, how wrong I was.

*~Line Break~*

*Nathan's POV*

I slouched in my chair in the restaurant, absorbed in my phone. Or I appeared to be; in reality I was letting Toby try and analyze me. It was this silent game we had going on for the past few days – I played Iceman while Toby tried to read me. It was great practice for us both, me in hiding my emotions and Toby in reading.

"Ok I give up," he announced finally. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you give up too easily," I said as I stowed my phone in my pocket. "You're too insecure about your choices, which stems from too many mess ups." I could practically feel the wall going up between us and smiled a bit. Game on.

"Yeah?" Toby challenged with a rather sinister smile. "Since when do you know about me?"

"Since I know that you keep everybody at arms-length for fear of hurting them by accident," I replied quietly, my eyes drilling into him. He seemed frozen in place. "You use humor and snark to cover up your pain and fear, but when someone nails you on your failures you break down. You react with sadness and anger, pushing that person further away. However, you are also quick to forgive, which you view as a weakness. It's not," I said before he could interrupt. "It's not a weakness. It means you have a good heart, no matter what you try to prove. If you show that heart, Toby, you'll win your happiness." I stood and went to pay for our lunch.

Four down, two to go.

The ride back to base was silent. Toby seemed lost in thought, which made me do an internal happy dance. Oh God, no pun intended!

"What?" Toby asked as he noticed my grimace.

"Nothing," I said, giggles rumbling up inside me. "Trust me, you don't want to know." He nodded slowly and went back to thinking; I could practically hear the gears turning.

We pulled up outside the garage and got out. I followed Toby inside and walked up to Paige, intending to ask her a quick question. I didn't notice Walter staring after Toby with a frown. Before I could even open my mouth, Walter was in my personal space. I flinched back out of reflex and that gave him the advantage.

"What the hell are you doing to my team?!" he hissed, eyes flashing with rage. I was completely dumbfounded and starting to panic.

"I was helping them-," I started to say but Walter interrupted me.

"No you weren't! You're barging in on _my_ team and messing up the perfect dynamic we had going! You're making us weaker by making them stronger!" he spat with pure venom. "I don't want you around them anymore, you little freak. Get out!"

I stared at him, every muscle burning with shame and anger and pure hatred. I opened my mouth to speak, but realized I couldn't through the lump in my throat. Blinking away burning tears, I grabbed my coat and ran out the door, not even paying attention to my car. I hit the road at full speed and shot off, the way in front of me blurred by my tears.

_The blare of a horn. Brief pain. _

_ Nothing. _

*~Line Break~*

**A/N: How badly do you guys want to kill me now? Cause this is so much fun. **

**Yes, yes, I know I'm evil. Please stop complimenting me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Guys, you are AMAZING. Thank you SO MUCH for all the follows, favs, and reviews! My smile got wider and wider every time I saw them! I'm very glad you liked it!**

**Here is the second and final chapter.**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I am the extremely proud owner of the awesome Nathan Cressler, but I'm not the proud owner of Scorpion…or Walt. :(**

**Note: Hey, does anyone know what the garage's address is in the show? I had to make something up 'cause I couldn't find it.**

*~Line Break~*

*Walter's POV*

I stared at the almost lifeless form lying on the hospital bed. He was a sickly ashen, and hooked up to so many tubes and wires he looked like a robot. From the disgusted looks my team was giving me, I knew my face and eyes were completely expressionless.

If only they could see the chaos within me.

I've never felt remorse to acutely; there's always been some degree of it, but this…this was pain. It was _torture_. I found myself replaying the sight of Nathan's bloody form being loaded into the ambulance over and over and my pain only increased. Lucky me, with my memory I won't ever forget it.

I didn't want to.

I wanted it to eat me up inside so I could really _feel_ for once in my life. I wanted to make myself suffer, to punish myself for what I did to this boy. Because this was my fault. It was all my fault. I deserved any abuse that came my way. And there had been plenty of it.

A split second after the door slammed behind Nathan, my entire team erupted into shouts of pure anger, yelling abuses at me left and right. Even Paige had lost it. The only one who hadn't was Sylvester. He was staring at me with eyes so sad and disappointment that it hurt more than any insult ever could.

I seemed to snap back into myself and I ran outside at full speed; I had a feeling that something terrible had happened. When I saw the bloody form ahead of me, my cold heart thawed and jumped into my throat. I skidded to a stop, praying to whatever deity that existed that it wasn't Nathan, and turned the form around.

It was Nathan.

I immediately dialed 911. "Help! 221 Baker Avenue; there's been an accident!" I nearly shouted and hung up. I wished I had a blanket or something; hell, I would've taken my shirt off if I hadn't needed it!

To my utter relief, Nathan coughed – he was still breathing. "Come on, stay with me," I murmured to him. "Don't leave. You can't. I still have to apologize! I have to fix this. Don't leave. You aren't allowed to." I kept on, saying whatever popped into my head; I'm pretty sure there was an apology or a declaration of love or something in there, but I really couldn't be bothered to remember when _Nathan was dying in front of me_.

My relief increased when I heard the wail of sirens. I went out into the middle of the road, waving my arms and shouting; the ambulance came to a stop and three paramedics rushed out. I stayed out of their way as they started to stabilize Nathan. I realized my fists were clenched and covered in blood. _Nathan's blood. Nathan's blood is on my hands. This is my fault._

*~Line Break~*

*Sylvester's POV*

I was standing at the back of the room, holding my fingers tightly. I watched as Walter didn't take his eyes off of Nathan, not even to eat. He ate blindly; I don't think he even registered what he was eating. I've never seen him like this. It was a little scary to be honest.

I knew that Walter regretted what he said to Nathan more than anything. I also knew that he loved Nathan. Everyone knew that, except for Walter it seemed. I hoped he realized it soon, so he could be happy.

Nathan had helped everyone in our team, and Walter had let his jealousy control him for a split second. It was a split second everyone regretted, but it was also a chance to see how protective (my mind refused to register the word _possessive_) Walter was of us. He did care about us, and he showed it in his own special way. I hoped Nathan would be better soon, so he could finish fixing Walter.

So he could finish fixing all of us.

*~Line Break~*

*Walter's POV*

I jumped a foot in the air at least when a quiet groan came from the prone figure on the bed. I rubbed my sleep-filled eyes and looked around – there was no one else in the room but me. They all must have left during the course of the day. _And evening_, my mind added as I took in the time. It was late, very late. I stood, feeling every inch of the soreness from sitting in a crappy hospital chair for several hours.

"Nathan?" I said very softly, careful not to startle him. He blinked open his eyes and looked around, finally focusing on me. His calm expression didn't change, and I was relieved to see no hint of hatred in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak again, but he held up a hand.

"No. Go home, eat, sleep, and shower. Then we will talk," he said firmly. I nodded mutely, inwardly amazed at how much power this boy had over me.

_But he's not a boy_, I realized. _He is most certainly not a boy. He's a man._ With that revelation, something shifted inside me. I suppressed the sudden tightening in my chest and my gut; what the heck was this?! What was going on? I'd never felt this way before!

"Are you ok?" Nathan asked cautiously, actually seeming concerned about me.

"Um, yeah," I said as casually as I could. "Just realized something that I should've seen before. No biggie." Nathan's raised eyebrow told me he wasn't fooled, but I was grateful when he nodded slowly and kept his silence.

"Can you, uh, call the nurse? I'm starting to feel the bruises," he said and I immediately pressed the call button. A female nurse came bustling in and started asking Nathan questions while she checked his vitals. I moved well out of the way to give her room to work, but I was still reluctant to leave him alone.

"Go," Nathan told me. "Go so we can talk." That made me nod and I gave him a very small, very brief smile before walking out.

*~Time skip~*

*Nathan's POV*

"Ouch!" I hissed under my breath. "Dammit, come on." I jiggled the key in my annoyingly loose lock and breathed a sigh of relief when it finally clicked. I was tired, achy, and I smelled like hospital disinfectant. I wanted to take a shower, eat a decent meal for once, and sleep for two weeks. With the amount of painkillers I was prescribed, that wouldn't be a difficult feat.

The last few days had been insane – I was released from the hospital, only to discover that my dad had sent the motorist to kill me. When that didn't work, the insane man sent a team of armed gunman after to me, and they tried to ambush me when I was walking out of the hospital. Thank God for Agent Gallo and his team of agents, because I would be Swiss cheese by now if it weren't for him. Luckily, Gallo had promised that these two murder attempts, plus the fraud charges, would be enough to put my dad away for a long time. I could rest easy now.

I stepped inside and cursed again, loudly, when I almost tripped over Cicero, my black kitten. My grumpy expression melted into a smile when the tiny creature attempted to climb up my pant leg. Joy flew through my heart as I (very carefully) bent to scoop him up. He nuzzled my palm harshly, mewing all the while.

"Hi baby!" I whispered happily as I shut the door with my foot (it was encouraging to note that even banged up as I was, I could still manage that). "How's my handsome boy, huh? Oh I missed you so much!" I held him under my chin as I stood there for a moment and just cuddled him. He purred so hard his little body vibrated and I laughed at the tickling sensation. He clawed at my button up and I smiled indulgently, opening the top so he could climb in and snuggle over my heart.

I had rescued him from the back alley a few months before, a tiny black fluff ball no bigger than the center of my palm. Through many trips to the veterinarian's office, meticulous following of instructions, and lots of love, he pulled through. He was small, but he had the heart of a lion and the audacity to match. Little tyke knew he was cute and he used that to his full advantage. I loved him dearly though; he was my best friend and my snuggle buddy on lonely, rainy nights.

"Did Aunt Paige take good care of you?" I cooed softly to him as I went about tidying up my slightly-messy apartment. Cicero purred in response and kneaded my chest with his tiny paws. I smiled and curled a hand around him protectively as I sat on the couch slowly and carefully. The shower could wait, I thought as I leaned my head back to sleep. Just five minutes.

_Five minutes…_

An hour later, according to my grandfather clock, a knocking on my door jerked me awake. I felt around for Cicero, only to discover him sitting patiently in front of the door. I shook my head. Weird cat. The knocking persisted. "Alright, alright," I grumbled. "I'm coming!" I stood and crossed over to the doorway, opening it to reveal...Sylvester.

"Sylvester," I said like I was expecting him. I totally wasn't. "Come in." I stood back to let the man in. He came in hesitantly and Cicero followed him until I scooped the troublemaker up by his scruff. He didn't even meow at me for the slightly rough treatment; he just dangled from my hand and looked at me.

"You are so weird!" I told him, bringing him over to kiss his head. "Weirdo cat." He only mewed softly, like he knew that, and batted my nose lightly. I couldn't help but laugh, and I placed him on my shoulder so he could be high up. He loved riding up there and just lounged on my shoulder like he was the king.

"So what brings you here?" I asked Sylvester and the man in question jumped lightly, the wrung his fingers together. I could tell he was looking for the hand sanitizer so I went to grab it from my bedroom. He smiled at me gratefully as I squirted some into both our hands and I smiled back.

"I'm here so you can fix me," he said confidently and I raised my eyebrows slightly.

"Fix you?" I said lightly. He nodded, seeming a little confused.

"Yeah, you know," he said nervously. "Like you did with Happy, Toby, and Walter. Though you aren't finished with Walter yet, are you?" I didn't even bother to answer because we both knew what it would be.

"I don't need to fix you," I said instead, going to lean against the back of my couch. "You're already fixed." Sylvester seemed even more confused.

"But, but I'm not!" he said frantically. "I have more phobias than the Red Sea does salt and next to Walter I'm the most likely to slip down the rabbit hole!" I just looked at him, absently rubbing Cicero's ears.

"You're also the most compassionate and logical mind of them all, and everyone knows it," I added softly. "Yes, you've got phobias. But we all have a weakness. Mine is my smartass tendencies; Walter's is his lack of compassion. Happy's is her anger issues, and Toby's is his lack of self-trust. Paige even has one; her weakness is her tendency to forgive too easily." I shrugged. "You're the one person I didn't need to fix, Sylvester." I smiled as he slowly realized what I meant. He looked at me, nodded once, and smiled before shuffling out.

As the door closed behind him, my smile grew until my face hurt. That had been the best fix to date.

"I think that deserves some pasta, Cicero. Want to help me make it?" I asked my kitten. He mewed and wriggled his butt, jumping down from his perch on my shoulder and dashing into the kitchen.

I grinned as I followed him and did a small victory dance of happiness.

*~Line Break~*

*Nathan's POV*

I sauntered into the garage. "I am back, baby!" I announced, holding my arms out wide. Everyone just stared at me and I pouted, crossing my arms.

"Y'all suck," I said sullenly and that broke the tension. Everyone came over to give me hugs (in Paige's and Toby's case) and welcomes.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Paige said sincerely as she hugged me gently. I was grateful for that – I was still pretty sore.

"Thanks," I said sincerely as I released her and clapped Toby on the back. "I am too. I was getting sick of staying in my apartment all day."

"Yeah, because practicing your sleight of hand tricks is _so_ boring," Happy teased and I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. We all knew magic was my life.

"I've got a new one to show Ralph. He home from school yet?" I asked and Paige shook her head.

"I was literally just about to go get him," she said and I nodded. My stomach was doing flips of anticipation and I couldn't keep my smile at bay.

"What're you planning…?" Toby asked me cautiously but I only grinned.

"You'll see," I said mysteriously.

Paige went to go get Ralph and the other three updated me on the going ons of the team. I listened to Sylvester as he excitedly explained his new equation to me. I accidentally knocked over his jaw of chalk and spent the new few minutes helping him organize them again.

I laughed along with Toby as he attempted to fool me with a card trick and then exaggeratedly got mad when I called him out on it. I picked up his hat from where I had knocked it onto the floor and joked along with him about my clumsiness.

I helped Happy with tightening a stubborn screw on her motorcycle and handed her tools from her toolbox when she needed it. I went to wash my hands and noticed Walter standing at his place in the room. I moseyed over to him and pretended not to notice when he moved aside to let me see what he was working on.

I examined his code with interest, asking a few questions here and there about the parts I didn't understand. My hip just barely touched his, but I could feel the static in the air between us. We both jumped when Paige came in with Ralph and my hand just barely brushed it. I went over to Ralph to say hi and gave Paige another hug.

I knelt in front of Ralph. "Hey buddy," I said fondly. "I was gonna show you a magic trick, but I just remembered something I had to do. So I'm gonna give you something so you can remind me to show you next time, ok?" I took out a playing card from my pocket and handed it to him. On the back was his name scrawled in blue script. On the front showed the Three of Spades.

"Now, the three means new roads, new paths to take," I explained softly. "Sometimes the journey might seem a little scary, but you must always remember to have faith in your family and friends." I gave him a knuckle-bump and ruffled his hair, then stood and said my goodbyes to everyone.

As I walked out, I was smiling.

Mission accomplished.

*~Line Break~*

Sylvester reached into his jar for a new piece of chalk and jumped.

Toby picked up his hat and watched as something fell out of it.

Happy reached for her wrench and stared confusedly at what she picked up instead.

Paige pulled out an object from her purse that had definitely not been there before.

Walter pulled the card from his pocket…and smiled.

The Seven of Diamonds.

The Nine of Clubs.

The Six of Diamonds.

The Ace of Hearts.

Walter ran out after Nathan and stopped him just before he climbed onto the bus.

"Why the ten?" he asked, holding up the Ten of Hearts. "I get the hearts. But why the ten?"

Nathan smiled at him. "It's a promise. A promise that we aren't finished. That I'm not finished with you, Walter O'Brien." He saluted with a cheeky grin and climbed into the bus, leaving a very happy genius in his wake.

"And I'll be waiting," Walter murmured, before pocketing his card and heading back inside.

*~Line Break~*

A/N: The meaning of each of their cards:

**Ralph:**** The Three shows us new ways open - new roads to take. The Three is a fork in the road and we must choose which path to take. Negatively speaking, the Three symbolizes uncertainty and confusion. Positively speaking, the Three symbolizes entertainment and "right choice". We must be optimistic and above all, have FAITH. The Spades symbolizes winter, environment, wisdom, health, acceptance, old age, transformation, scripture, and earth. **

**Sylvester:**** Sevens have a tendency to covet - 7's are known to bring us worry because of jealousy or stress or gossip as we search for ways to recover and move forward. In extreme cases, sevens can bring violence. We need to let go of our expectations and figure out how to get around the obstacles instead of trying to plow right through them. The positive 7 symbolizes VICTORY. The Diamonds mean fall, career, values, security, judgment, adult, responsibility, entertainment, and fire.**

**Toby:**** Ever wonder where that expression came from, "the 9th degree"? Well this number doesn't mess around! Nine's symbolize the need to LET GO, and if we don't let go, it's taken from us anyway. The number 9 brings loss, endings, dislikes, disagreements and finally, disappointment. When the number 9 appears in our yearly spread of Cards, we must think in Universal terms and embrace something much bigger than ourselves. Surrender to the 9! As one door closes, another will open. The positive 9 symbolizes NEW BEGINNINGS. The Clubs means summer, education, mind, intellect, musings, youth, irresponsibility, literature, and air.**

**Happy:**** Exhausted from all that change and restlessness, Sixes don't like to move forward. The past needs to be reevaluated and reflected upon. We need to stop, look and listen. Sixes bring us people from our past, feelings, thoughts and health issues we may need to deal with not later, but NOW. Debts repaid, or entered into. Sixes are karmic - the result of past actions or the sowing of seeds to come. For good or for worse, things remain the same. The Diamonds mean fall, career, values, security, judgment, adult, responsibility, entertainment, and fire.**

**Paige:**** The Beginning "I AM". The Ace ranks supreme importance as the ego and we call it the ACE. The Ace is the Card of DESIRE. It is the WISH Card - the HOPE and the I WANT. If we can turn our desire for self into a desire for ALL, the Ace may be called the Card of the ALTRUIST. The Hearts mean spring, home, heart, emotions, love, childhood, vulnerability, art, and water.**

**Walter:**** The last number - the biggest number - the sum total. This is the number of SUCCESS, the number of achievement and the number of fulfillment. 10's are usually a wonderful number to have in predictions and will strive to give their best and create success and fulfillment. On the other hand, the 10 is very capable of reducing itself to a 1 (1+0=1) and when this happens, the inflated ego creates a false sense of security, and we end up tripping over our own personal pride. The Hearts mean spring, home, heart, emotions, love, childhood, vulnerability, art, and water.**


End file.
